Process of finishing knitted pile fabrics



Dec. 6, 1932. D. P. MOORE PROCESS OF FINISHING KNITTED FILE FABRICS Filed Feb. 19, 1931 Patented Dec. 6, 1932 PATENT OFFICE DAVID PELTON MOORE, OF AVON PARK, FLORIDA PROCESS OF FINISHING KNITTED PILE FABRICS Application filed February 19, 1931. Serial No. 517,042.

The present invention relates to improvements in a process of finishing knitted pile fabrics, and more particularly to a knitted ile fabric as is set forth in my U. S. Letters atent No. 1,7 91,741 granted to me February When this fabric has been produced in a machine similar to the machines set forth in my co-pending applications, Serial Nos.

10 398,958, 484,448, 498,818, the rear face of the fabric is spotty and the jersey web formed by the basic yarn or yarns is too visible, and again the fabric is too elastic and will not hold its shape. It was therefore necessary and desirable to treat this fabric to a process that would shrink and set the fabric, cause the pile elements where held in by the basic yarns to plate and coat the same, and to, at the same time, not produce a matting of the pile. Several methods of accomplishing thls have been employed by me, one in which the fabric in the tubular form just as it leaves the knitting machine is treated, and the other in which the tube is split-that is in knitting one needle at least in the cylinder is dropped to form a straight guide for cutting-and the fabric held taut and flat during the processing. This latter is preferable, as it is desirable to roll the finished fabric similarly to plush and velvets, that is on a reel with the convolutions spaced apart so that the pile does not receive any pressure that would tend to flatten or matt it. Where it is finished in tubular form, the tube prior to reeling it is split and the goods reeled in single layer convolutions.

It i therefore evident that many forms of apparatus may be employed to bring about the desired result, and that such apparatus may be of the vertical or horizontal type, but in order to illustrate one method of carrying out the invention,'a horizontal type. of ma chine will be illustrated and described in the accompanying drawing, inwhich Figure 1 is a top plan view in diagram of the complete apparatus.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, also being diagrammatic. I

Figures 3, 4, and 5 are views of details.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 6 designates the two guide rails, each one of which extends upon either side of the machine and are elongated loops, so that the caster frames or hangers 7, disposed equidis- 5 tantly throughout the full length of both rails, and secured in spaced relation to each other by the two sprocket chains 10, will travel with the chains, as will presently appear.

Each caster frame is provided with a caster wheel 8 that engages the track 6, and is provided with an inner terminal 15 to which is attached a pin 16, so that the fabric engaging clip or hook 17, may be rigidly attached to the frame or through the spring 18 resiliently attached to such frame.-

In order that the chains lO'may be moved in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 1, there is mounted at the inlet end the two sprocket wheels 11, and at the outlet end the two sprocket wheels 12, there being a chain drive 13 from the motor 14 for driving the wheels 12 and consequently the two Wheels 11 and moving the chains with the hangers.

Two spaced guide rollers 1919 over which the fabric F, with the pile uppermost is drawn, and first subjected to a moistening or saturationv of the rear face or non-pile side, and so that the moisture does not pene- 80 trate the pile, by means of the moistener 20, here shown as an atomizer, but which may employ wet steam, warm or hot water sprayed or atomized, or even applied by rotary brushes from below. Beyond this arrangementare 5 another pair of spaced rollers -21'- 21(,.bev; tween which is disposed a drier 22, "preferably. superheatech by steam/so that as the moist, web of the fabric passes thereover, thesteam from the water in the fabric is driven upward- ,0

' space.

ly through the pile, and such heater being of sufficient length, and the speed of the movement of the fabric being sufiiciently slow to thoroughly dry the fabric before passing the guide roller 21.

Beyond this treatment point of the apparatus, are two spaced rollers 2323, between which is an air blast device 24, with two nozzles 25 adjacent the underside of the fabric and directing the compressed air upwardly and throu h the pile. This is an important step, as it nally sets the pile and removes any loose fibers and prevents the matting of the pile adjacent'the web. Where desirable, I also place a suction head 26', whose nozzle is very close to the top of the pile so as to tend to stand the pile on end and to remove loose fibers, the same being so regulated as not to unduly abrade the fibers.

Although not always necessary, a brushing action may take place at a point 29 between the heater 22 and the air blast 24, and also in conjunction with the air-blast or previous thereto, a beater 28, operated to strike the underside of the fabric in transit, may with advantage be employed.

Whether the brushing and beating is to take place, is regulated entirely upon the length and character of pile, and the finish desired.

It is also possible to produce caracul or cow lick effects in the pile by hand or machine brushing the pile from above at point 29. I

From the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawing the operation and process will be fully understood, but briefly stated it is as follows.

When it is desired to shrink the fabric F, in width, the fabric is supported its full length, between the clips 17 of both chains 6, the springs being employed to permit the gradual contraction of the material, as it is moved by the chains in the direction of the upper arrow, or from left to right in Fig. 1. Where a thirty (30) yard piece is operated upon, there is a space of this size between the wheels 11 and the moistener 20, so that the piece can be put in place properly stretched. Y

It is now slowly moved to the right, and is subjected successively to the moistening, drying, (beating and/ or brushing) and to the air blast and suction action before it arrives at the space between the air-blast 24 and the wheels 12. When the entire piece has thus been acted upon by the various instrumentalities, it is ready to be removed and reeled in spaced convolutions, or it can be reeled as it is successively released from the clips 17. Where this operation takes place on a horizontal machine, the machine is substantially about 210 feet long, but where it is set up vertically, it is about 100 feet long, and can be arran ed more or less zig-zag to economize ft is also possible to reduce the horizontal machine to about 100 feet, in which event the fabric is attached and detached successively as it is fed upon and removed from the apparatus.

Where the fabric is finished in tubular form, instead of the chains and hangers here illustrated, perforated tubular either circular or flattened members are employed, the same being larger in size atthe inlet end and reduced gradually ,to permit shrinkage toward the outlet end. In this event the fabric is slit when finished and reeled similarly to the fiat piece.

When it is desired to maintain the width and to shrink lengthwise of the fabric, the springs 18 are dispensed with and the fabric is attached directly to the terminal 15 of the hangers, the extreme ends of the fabric being attached by the springs 30 to the end bars 31, carried by the chains 6, and such springs give to permit this lengthwise shrinking, while the fabric is firmly held on its longitudinal edges and prevented from shrinking in width.

It is evident from the foregoing that many additional features may be added to improve the appearance of the pile, it being essential, however, to so subject the fabric, that the pile is not matted either due to its being moistened too great or from pressure thereon, by ironing, mangling, and/or folding and rolling tightly.

By this arrangement of apparatus and the process therein set forth the improved fabric, such as set forth in my patent, can be produced of many materials, and made into fabrics for outer and inner garments, blankets, carpets and rugs.

It is also apparent that a knitted pile fabric of this type made either upon cylinder rotary knitting machines or straight bed machines may be treated with this process.

What is claimed, as new, is

1. A process for finishing a knitted pile fabric, which includes the subjectin of the pile fabric non-pile side down while in a stretched condition and in transit, to 2. moistening only of the non-pile side, drying the fabric from the non-pile side thereof, and

forcing an air blast from below through the 1 fabric.

2. A process for finishing a knitted pile fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein in addition to the air blast, a suction action takes place from above coincident with the air lasting action. 3. A process for finishing a knitted pile fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nonpile side is subjected to'a beating action fol-- lowing the drying action, and preceding the air blast,

4. A process for finishing a knitted pile fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nonpile side of the fabric is subjected to a heating action at a point between the drying and air-blast actions.

5. A process for finishing a knitted pile fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nonpile side of the fabric is subjected to a beating and the pile side is subjected to a suction action.

6. A process for finishing a. knitted pile fabric as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nonpile side of the fabric is subjected to a heating, While the pile side is subjected to brush ing and also a suction action following the beating action.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DAVID PELTON MOORE. 

